This stuffed acorn squash filled with farro, sausage, juicy apples, dried cherries, and melty cheddar is a delicious mix of sweet and savory. An easy fall side dish!
½cupshredded sharp cheddar cheese, extra for topping if desired(can substitute a different kind of cheese if you want)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Carefully trim a tiny bit off the top and bottom of each squash to create a flat surface. Then cut each squash in half. Scrape out seeds and stringy bits. Rub inside and cut edges of squash with olive oil. Sprinkle inside of squash with salt and pepper. Place cavity side down on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until fork tender.
While the squash roasts, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering and hot, add the sausage, onion, and celery and cook until sausage is cooked through, breaking the sausage up into crumbles as it cooks.
Add cooked farro, apples, cherries, sage, and garlic powder and cook until the apple softens and the rest of the mixture has heated through.
Turn off heat and stir in cheese.
When squash is tender, remove from oven and carefully flip each half over. Fill with sausage mixture and if desired, sprinkle with additional cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Other cooked grains may be substituted for the farro, such as rice, quinoa, bulgur, or barley.
The stuffing works well in other types of squash such as butternut, buttercup, kabocha, etc.
Make Ahead: Bake the squash and prep the stuffing up to one day in advance. When ready to bake, stuff squash and bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes baking time since all the ingredients are cold.